League of American Orchestras Kicks Off ESSENTIALS OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Today in L.A.

Thirty-one participants with a wide range of professional backgrounds will join some of the most innovative leaders of the orchestra field at the League of American Orchestras' Essentials of Orchestra Management program, today, July 7-16 in Los Angeles. The immersive leadership development seminar is presented in association with University of Southern California's Arts Leadership program (ARTL) and hosted by USC Thornton School of Music.

The participants are in various stages of their careers, and their resumes include a variety of administrative positions in national and international orchestras and arts organizations of all budget sizes. Musicians, graduate students and career changers with a deep interest or background in orchestras and the arts also make up this year's Essentials class, the first to take place in Los Angeles since the program moved from New York City this year. Providing critical programs for developing early-career managerial talent has been a League priority since the 1950's; the current Essentials program began in 2000 as a continuation of an earlier iteration begun in the 1980's. The League's Essentials seminar is co-directed by Brenk Assink, executive director, San Francisco Symphony, and Deborah F. Rutter, president, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., in consultation with Kenneth Foster, director of USC's Arts Leadership program. The intensive curriculum delves into the fundamentals of orchestra management as well as the evolving work of orchestras, covering a number of areas in depth, including mission, programming, community relevance, leadership, new audience engagement, fiscal health, organizational culture, and technology.

In addition to Assink, Foster, and Rutter, notable Essentials faculty members include, among others, Deborah Borda, president and chief executive officer, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic staff; Martha S. Gilmer, chief executive officer, San Diego Symphony; Michael Morgan, music director and conductor, Oakland East Bay Symphony; Christopher Rountree, conductor and composer, and founder of the chamber orchestra wild Up; and Pacific Symphony staff. Essentials' hands-on curriculum will challenge participants to tackle real-world situations. The seminar will also feature tours, performances, and receptions. Highlights will include an in-depth look at YOLA@HOLA (Youth Orchestra LA at Heart of Los Angeles in the Rampart District), and a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Essentials' new housing arrangements, in the USC residence halls, will provide for more time for the participants and faculty to network with each other.

The full Essentials faculty list can be found here. The full agenda can be found here.

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